The deputy finance minister had committed to provide the copies to parliament but he has failed to fulfil his commitment, the party says.

Deputy Finance Minister Sfiso Buthelezi has five days to fulfil his promise to hand over the South African Airways (SAA) forensic reports, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.

Revelations in the media on Sunday that SAA renewed R4.5 billion in tenders without following proper procedure were only the tip of the iceberg, DA spokesman Alf Lees said.

“That is why, for the last eight months, the DA has pursued almost all avenues to ensure that the raft of forensic investigation reports into SAA are released to the public,” he said.

The DA had submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to the National Treasury which was rejected. The DA had also written to both the finance minister and his deputy minister to no avail.

“Clearly there is much to hide. In May this year, the Deputy Finance Minister Sfiso Buthelezi committed to provide copies to the portfolio committee on finance; yet he has not been a man of his word and has failed to fulfil his commitment.

The DA would now give Buthelezi until the close of business on Friday, July 21, to make good on his commitment and release the reports.

“It is only when we know the full extent of the rot at the airline that we can get to work and fix it. The release of these reports is therefore vital and must be done, as promised,” Lees said.– African News Agency (ANA)